Banbury is a market town in the district of Cherwell in north Oxfordshire, England. Located on the River Cherwell, it is about 60 miles northwest of London.
In the 13th century, Banbury had grown to become an important trading centre bringing wealth to the local population. In 1628 the town was ravaged by fire which destroyed many buildings, though some have survived to the present day. The opening of the Oxford Canal in 1790 connecting Banbury with the Midlands bought new industries and growth which continued with the arrival of the railways.
Due to the building of the M40 motorway, Banbury is now a town with good industry. It is now one of the major commuter towns for London,
Oxford,
Solihull and Birmingham. The M40 also provides local residents access to the Midlands and the southeast of England.
Banbury has rail services to Warwick, Birmingham and London running from London Marylebone. It also has services run by First Great Western to Oxford,
Reading and London Paddington. Services to other parts of the country are from Birmingham New Street to Cardiff, Bristol, Gloucester, Leicester, Stansted, as well as direct services to other cities across England and Scotland.
Today Banbury is an expanding market and industrial town experiencing growth due to its proximity to the completed M40 motorway linking
London to
Birmingham.
